Life Principle 10 Choosing to Live a Life of Joy – Part 2

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4

 Most Bible teachers drain the emotion out of this verse and make it an attitude. To this we disagree.  A major question that arises is why would the Lord insist on something that seems downright unattainable and why does He want us to pursue continual joy?  One significant reason why we are to be joy filled creatures is that was man’s natural state before the fall and will be our eternal experience in heaven.  We examined all sixteen times Paul used “joy” or “rejoice” in Philippians and found that they all centered around eternal spiritual values.

45 “So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 “They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever. 47 “Because you did not ________________ _______________________; Deuteronomy 28

47 “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; Deuteronomy 28

Part 2 How about a linguistic lesson that is packed with significance?

The significance of root words… In language, often groups of words are joined by a common root which flavors all the words in that group with a certain meaning.

The root of “bene” Meaning good, or well  benefactor  beneficial  benevolent  benediction  beneficiary  benefit

Rejoice chaírō To give thanks eucharistéō To show grace cháris Gift chárisma

God’s Magnificent Grace (cháris) Lord’s Great Gifts (chárisma) Thanksgiving (eucharistéō) True Rejoicing (chaírō)

Out of God’s Magnificent Grace He Gave Abundant Blessings There Was No Gratitude Nor Was There Joy

A simple answer to a perplexing question Are we to be full of joy even in difficult and impossible times?

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1

16“A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.” 17 Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” John 16

19 Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. John 16

Jesus will explain the tension between joy and sorrow with a common human experience that at least half of the people in this room can relate. Lesson: Mothers are willing to suffer uncomfortable pregnancy and labor pains now for the impending joy that results in having a child.

21 “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. John 16

So from both the Hebrews and James passages, it is not the painful experience but rather what it produces that is the cause for joy. In Jesus’ case, the pain bought us from the slave market of sin. To the believer we find the spiritual growth and increased intimacy with the Lord the cause of joy.

So getting back to Philippians 4.4, why does our God command us to volitionally choose joy when it seems almost impossible to accomplish this on demand?

1. As stated in our last study, joy is our natural state before the fall and heaven’s eternal environment. The Lord is just getting us ready for eternity. 2. Because God wants His children happy and joyful. Where do you think your desire for your children to be happy and joyful comes from? 3. Because at some level you can actually choose to be joyful. 4. Your joy rubs off on those around you.

5. It is a self-diagnostic tool. By commanding us to rejoice, it causes us to stop and reflect on why we are not full of joy and to make necessary changes in our walk. 6. It puts us in tension with our level of faith. If we truly believed, would we not be continually full of joy. If we claim to really believe perhaps someone should tell our face. 7. As Christians we are so preoccupied with the battlefront of sin that we forget that a major reason for the fight is the joy of the Lord. This is a reminder.

What if God Himself personally revealed to you what is to be your foundational source of joy? Would that be of immense value to you?

17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” Luke 10

At the very moment in time that you believed in Christ – everything radically changed! Fifty blessings hit us as a tsunami wave of God’s love. These fifty blessings are the foundation of our joy.

 Sins forgiven – Ephesians 1.7  We have 24/7 access to the throne of God – Hebrews 4.16  Given Christ’s righteousness – Romans 5.11  Indwelt by the Holy Spirit – Romans 8.9  Made family member of God’s household – Ephesians 2.19

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, I Peter 1

8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. I Peter 1